Prediction How will the Geelong Cats fare in season 2024?

[CHAWKTS]

So I won’t be able to help myself…but I am going to TRY and ignore the results today and accept that we play whoever, whenever - after 24 rounds of ups and downs.

Earlier this week I was very exercised about hoping Bulldogs miss (so we don’t meet them at anytime) or at least we get 4th so we avoid Hawks/Bulldogs second week - and somehow I thought we might have better chance of beating sydney in sydney that port or GWS… but to be frank it is a lottery so I am going to try and relax!

Obviously the perfect scenario on paper is GWS lose and Port by 4 goals and we get home final first week. Having said that it will then be against Port at MCG - which again sounds better than at AO but I still think is a lottery that will make it worse if we lose!! (Of course it is better but I am not sure 100% changes any of the risk).

Put simply, IMHO we need a surprise win first week - and that can happen anywhere. Whilst I don’t like the pre finals bye I think it could be good for us…. Give Danger and Jezza a rest (as well as a couple of the young boys as I know 2-3 of them including the two Ollies have been struggling to train over past couple of weeks) and get Tommy, SDK and Lawson right….that gives us the best chance of having our “big 3” play out of their skins and have the rest follow…

If we win week one we get another week off which will be huge for us.

I don’t subscribe to the notion that if we lose week 1 we are likely to be our in straight sets - but I do think if we lose week 1 I can’t see how we then win three in a row given our demographic…

How exciting it is to be in this position.

I am failing! You would think Dogs will hold on unless Toby Green continues to do things other people can’t.

If Dogs do win we play Port - only question is whether at AO or MCG.

 

[Jimmy Yamazaki]

We've got 3rd now. If Freo win by 20ish or more then we can still grab 2nd.

 

[Baudolino]

Port it is then.

I'm already feeling pre-emptively nauseous at the prospect of losing at Adelaide Oval in a Qualifying Final to Ken Hinkley for a third time.

But anything is possible I guess. If we can somehow break even in the midfield then we have the forward line to challenge them.

 

[Gyno79]

Well.. it's about that time..

 

[foxdog50]

We've got 3rd now. If Freo win by 20ish or more then we can still grab 2nd.

What's the exact margin? Is it 25 point?

 

[Pure_Ownage]

What's the exact margin? Is it 25 point?

About that.

 

[Jimmy Yamazaki]

What's the exact margin? Is it 25 point?

I think it's 26 but I'm not sure, the prediction thing on AFL website is a sliding bar so it's hard to get an accurate reading.

 

[Scorpio]

Port it is then.

I'm already feeling pre-emptively nauseous at the prospect of losing at Adelaide Oval in a Qualifying Final to Ken Hinkley for a third time.

But anything is possible I guess. If we can somehow break even in the midfield then we have the forward line to challenge them.

Just keep it away from Aliir Aliir

 

[CHAWKTS]

I am failing! You would think Dogs will hold on unless Toby Green continues to do things other people can’t.

If Dogs do win we play Port - only question is whether at AO or MCG.

So I was never going to not watch. And worth the watch as I love to see Carlton beaten. Especially like that.

Bonus of course is now freo have huge incentive to win. Need them to win by 4-5 goals of course which doesn’t matter to them

 

[Pure_Ownage]

So I was never going to not watch. And worth the watch as I love to see Carlton beaten. Especially like that.

Bonus of course is now freo have huge incentive to win. Need them to win by 4-5 goals of course which doesn’t matter to them

Go freo!

 

[CHAWKTS]

Assuming Port score around 80 points (35 in second half) free are going to have to score 100 to get Cats second. Of course freo dont care

For me I am somewhat relaxed as to whether we play port at MCG or AO (obvisouly prefer it in Melbourne) but I really really want Carlton not to make it!

 

[BIGANT]

You know we only lost by a goal against port right? No danger, and Stewart was not playing his new role.

I think we'll do allright in the rematch.

The "seat filler" McEntee will likely return too his role on TS and the nuisance of DBJ will be around like a bad smell, again he contributed to their W against the dockers.
We can't allow those bit players to have their moments. Smart forward entries to our forwards will heap deer to headlights moments on that back line as long as we nail our shots on gl.

 

[Gavin Excell]

Finishing 3rd would be a nightmare. Probably port first up followed by the winner of dogs v hawks.
Complete death sentence.

It's not the best outcome is it
Our finals record at AO is deplorable too

 

[Pure_Ownage]

The "seat filler" McEntee will likely return too his role on TS and the nuisance of DBJ will be around like a bad smell, again he contributed to their W against the dockers.
We can't allow those bit players to have their moments. Smart forward entries to our forwards will heap deer to headlights moments on that back line as long as we nail our shots on gl.

On SM-S901E using BigFooty.com mobile app

Stewart will be playing midfield this time so im pretty sure mcentee wont be on him.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

It's not the best outcome is it
Our finals record at AO is deplorable too

Port are easily the weakest of the top 4 teams. At MCG would have been better due to our poor finals record at AO but i think we can overcome it.

 

[Gavin Excell]

Port are easily the weakest of the top 4 teams. At MCG would have been better due to our poor finals record at AO but i think we can overcome it.

Hope you're right but they seem to be coming good right time of the year

 

[BIGANT]

Stewart will be playing midfield this time so im pretty sure mcentee wont be on him.

Our backline sometimes have there moments under pressure or perceived pressure. Let's hope Kolo, Blitz, JH, MD if used down there can suck it up and don't give away easy gls.

 

[Footy_Fan2007]

Hope you're right but they seem to be coming good right time of the year

They are perfectly primed this year. I think they’ll win it all.

 

[The_Koulouriotis_Fan]

It's not the best outcome is it
Our finals record at AO is deplorable too

I can't see how our finals record at Adelaide Oval is relevant to the outcome of this game. Last time we played Port was 2021 and the teams are very different this year.

Our recent H&A record at Adelaide Oval isn't too bad, it's much better than our recent record at the SCG where we haven't won in 4 years.

 

[Footy Smarts]

Incredible how quiet the "realists" have been this year after loudly telling us before the season started that we were miles off it.

Reading the start of this thread again even the optimists thought we could only complete if everything went right.

If you'd told me at the start of the year that Guthrie and Hawkins would have no impact, Blicavs and Stewart would have their worst years in memory and the ruck division would be a complete mess I would've assumed we would miss finals. But here we are somehow top 4 giving ourselves a great chance to have a crack.

 

[catempire]

Incredible how quiet the "realists" have been this year after loudly telling us before the season started that we were miles off it.

Reading the start of this thread again even the optimists thought we could only complete if everything went right.

If you'd told me at the start of the year that Guthrie and Hawkins would have no impact, Blicavs and Stewart would have their worst years in memory and the ruck division would be a complete mess I would've assumed we would miss finals. But here we are somehow top 4 giving ourselves a great chance to have a crack.

Remember, the “realists” were in full cry after the 2021 Prelim loss too.

 

[Zouz Kitty]

Well.. it's about that time..

I was suspended for a week when I posted that, about a Hawthorn player

 

[Zouz Kitty]

I can't see how our finals record at Adelaide Oval is relevant to the outcome of this game. Last time we played Port was 2021 and the teams are very different this year.

Our recent H&A record at Adelaide Oval isn't too bad, it's much better than our recent record at the SCG where we haven't won in 4 years.

It’s time to break the AO finals hoodoo.

 

[Footy Smarts]

Remember, the “realists” were in full cry after the 2021 Prelim loss too.

They had an amazing ability to remain deathly silent from about April to September then break out all at once every year from about 2016-2021. Get ready for the same thing this year if we don't go all the way.

 

[Farmer2Goggin]

Reflecting on how awesome it is to be a Cats supporter - flag in 22 , off season in 2023 with 10.5 wins , turnaround in 2024 with 15 W's and another top 4 appearance.
We are truly blessed - all that and we have successfully brought in Dempsey , Neale , Mannagh and Humphries into the 22.
Yet again we defy equalisation and AFL gravity by staying in contention